Cinco de Chili Chocolate Cupcakes with Chili Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 box devil's food chocolate cake mix , 18.25 ounce
• 1.5 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
• 0.25 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1.25 cups water
• 0.33 cups vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
• 0.13 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 0.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar , or more as needed
• 1 package cream cheese , 8 ounce
• 0.5 cups butter , softened
• 0.5 teaspoons clear vanilla extract , or to taste
• 24 small dried red chiles

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. 2

   Whisk cake mix, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ancho chile, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Beat in water, vegetable oil, and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed; beat for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.

3. 3

   Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

4. 4

   Sift 1 teaspoon ground ancho chile, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and cinnamon with confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; mix in vanilla extract.

5. 5

   Spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes in attractive swirls. Poke a small dried chile, stem-side up, into frosting as a garnish.